Witzer Pre-Season Challenge Rd 3: Tigers, Panthers take the points

Full-time: Needing a win to give themselves a shot at the Pre-Season Challenge title the Eels come up empty in a 30-18 loss. The Tigers will take plenty out of the win and the form of Terrell May, Adam Doueihi, Fonua Pole and Jeral Skelton.

76 min: From the scrum win the Tigers go left and Adam Doueihi finds Latu Fainu who burns a defender and puts Solomona Faataape over for the try that seals the win. Doueihi makes it 5 from 5 conversions to ice the 30-18 victory.

75 min: Wests Tigers winger Jeral Skelton jams in and puts the shot of the night on Charlie Guymer. From the ensuing play a forward pass gives the Tigers a chance to put it to bed.

70 min: Wests Tigers forward Kit Laulilii is placed on report for late contact on the kicker.

66 min: Eels forward Ryan Matterson is placed on report for a high tackle.

60 min: Josh Addo-Carr enters the game for his first action since joining the Eels in the off-season.

57 min: A barnstorming run and quick play the ball by Fonua Pole sets up Tristan Hope to scamper over from dummy half to put the Tigers back in front. Adam Doueihi converts for 24-18. The Tigers built pressure on the back of two poor line dropouts by Ronald Volkman and a couple of six-again calls.

49 min: Ryan Matterson delivers the final pass for former Shark Jack Williams to score and Ronald Volkman converts to lock it up 18-18.

41 min: A 'roll ball' penalty against Eels forward Luca Moretti opens the door for Wests Tigers and Samuela Fainu gets over the stripe but is denied by three Eels defenders. He knocks the ball on and the Eels come away.

Half-time: Terrell May's 14 runs for 125 metres lay the platform for Adam Doueihi and Lachlan Galvin to do their stuff and Wests Tigers lead by six. Isaiah Iongi shines for the Eels with 100 run metres, six tackle breaks and a try.

40 min: The Tigers go ahead after Lachlan Galvin and Adam Doueihi combine to put Jeral Skelton over in the left hand corner. Adam Doueihi's laser like conversion from touch makes it 18-12 to Benji Marshall's men.

36 min: After the Tigers are pinged for failing to pack a scrum in time the Eels go left and Isaiah Iongi delivers a perfect cut-out pass to put winger Sean Russell over in the corner. Zac Lomax adds the extras for 12-12.

33 min: The Tigers lose centre Brent Naden to a leg injury after he is bent over awkwardly in a tackle.

29 min: On the back of an Adam Doueihi 40-20 the Tigers take the lead when former Dragon Jack Bird crashes over from close range. Doueihi converts for a 12-6 Tigers lead.

27 min: Wests Tigers cash in on the repeat set when Brent Naden does a great job to get downward pressure on an Adam Doueihi grubber. Doueihi converts to lock it up at 6-6.

25 min: A well weighted bomb from Lachlan Galvin lands right on the goal line and Adam Doueihi chases hard to pin Isaiah Iongi in goal.

23 min: A grubber from Adam Doueihi rebounds to big man Alex Twal who looks set to grab a rare try but he loses control of the ball and the Eels come away.

14 min: A mistake by Jeral Skelton coming out of his own end opens the door for the Eels and they capitalise immediately with classy fullback Isaiah Iongi beating Adam Doueihi, Brent Naden and Tallyn Da Silva on a 30-metre run to the line. Zac Lomax lands his first kick in an Eels jumper to make it 6-0.

Late Mail: Wests Tigers will take the field at their spiritual home as named on Tuesday. For the Eels, Bryce Cartwright comes into the starting side in the second row in jersey No.20 with William Latu going back to the reserves.

 

Sea Eagles v Panthers, Friday 6.00pm at Leichhardt Oval

Full-time: Led by Trent Toelau (2 try assists, 1 line break, 5 tackle breaks) and Falefa Latoi (11 runs, 94 metres) the Panthers pull off an upset 38-22 win to snuff out Manly's chances of taking out the Pre-Season Challenge title. The Panthers had 55 per cent of possession and came up with five line breaks and 30 tackle breaks.

80 min: The Panthers put an exclamation mark on the win when Jackson Edgar swings left and puts Poutoa Hotere-Papalii over in the corner and a sweet conversion from wide out by Zak Clarke makes it 38-22.

77 min: A powerhouse run from Manly giant Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega to complete his double and Aaron Schoupp's conversion pull it back to 32-22.

74 min: Manly's Jordan Swann is sin binned for a professional foul and the Panthers go straight on the attack and score through Preston Riki, who carries three defenders over the line to seal the victory.

62 min: Another pinpoint Panthers grubber, this time from Tylor Bunting, sets up a try for Harrison Hassett to make it 26-16.

61 min: Manly forward Corey Waddell is placed on report for a high tackle.

59 min: Trent Toelau is given an early mark after his cracking display while Manly back-rower Ethan Bullemor is also taken from the field.

57 min: Toafofoa Sipley gets over the stripe from dummy half but the try is ruled out by the bunker for Sipley using the marker as an obstruction, denying the Panthers a chance to stop him.

53 min: The Panthers lose their captain's challenge when they unsuccessfully challenge a stripping call.

51 min: Manly make it two in two minutes after off-season recruit Siosiua Taukeaiaho goes to the line and delivers a sweet pass for Ethan Bullemor to power into a hole and get the Sea Eagles back to 22-16. The four-pointer proving the ideal birthday present for Bullemor, who turns 25 today.

49 min: Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega crosses in the left corner after slick hands from Dean Matterson, Lehi Hopoate and Aaron Schoupp. The conversion from Schoupp pulls it back to 22-10.

Half-time: A stunning scoreline for the Panthers, up by 18 points on the back of some solid defence and the playmaking brilliance of Trent Toelau. The 25-year-old played 12 games off the bench for the Panthers in 2024 and will certainly be adding to that in 2025 on the evidence of the first half at Leichhardt Oval.

39 min: A second try for David Fale thanks to another kick from Trent Toelau, this time a perfectly weighted cross field kick after Manly had again coughed up the ball. Panthers 22-4.

35 min: On the back of a David Fale intercept the Panthers go further ahead thanks to a Tom Jenkins try off a deft Trent Toelau grubber. The play was perfectly executed and continued a sensational first half by Toelau, who adds the extras for an 18-4 lead.

27 min: A 'roll ball' penalty against Clayton Faulalo 30 metres out from his own line invites the Panthers onto the attack and Trent Toelau produces a nice show and go to bamboozle Manly defence and grab his team's second try. The halfback converts for a 12-4 lead.

17 min: Trent Toelau puts a neat grubber into the in-goal to earn the Panthers a repeat set and got over the line through Sione Fonua but he lost the ball as Manly's cover defence closed in.

12 min: The Panthers hit back when Sione Fonua delivers a peach of a pass for David Fale to cross in the corner. Trent Toelau nailed the conversion from the sideline for a 6-4 Panthers lead.

7 min: Navren Willett launches himself into the right corner to grab Manly's opening try of the night. Nathan Brown got the play started with some nice ball-playing before Jake Arthur, Clayton Faulalo and Reuben Garrick also handled to create space for Willett. Sea Eagles 4-0.

6 min: Panthers prop Austin Dias is met heavily by the Manly defence and comes down heavily on his left shoulder. He is taken from the field and leaves the field for further assessment with the club reporting he had hurt his collarbone.

Late Mail: The Sea Eagles made two late changes with Jazz Tevaga and Ben Trbojevic sitting out the game, replaced in the starting side by Jake Simpkin and Michael Chee Kam. The Panthers will take the field as named on Tuesday.

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold said Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans, Luke Brooks, Jason Saab and Tommy Talau all trained fully today and were on track for Round 1. "They had the opportunity to have a scrimmage against the Dragons as well, played the whole scrimmage because we knew they weren't playing trial games, looking forward to rolling those guys out in Round 1."